German-American Fest Kicks Off This Evening

Last year former Mayor Richard M. Daley and former Ald. Eugene Schulter (47th) emceed the Von Stuben Day Parade. Credit: Flickr/zeezodean

Although there are more festivals to come this year, Lincoln Square’s German-American/Oktoberfest always seems to cap off the summer streetfest season. After this weekend, weather gets cooler and outdoor activities get dicier. With weather forecasts in the low 70′s here’s your chance to grab some food or beer and stand in the middle of a street with some friends.

The festival officially kicks off this evening at 6:00 p.m. in the Leland and Lincoln Ave. intersection and runs every evening until 11:00 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday it begins at noon. On Saturday the festival hosts the Von Stueben Day Parade, which winds north down Lincoln Ave. to Western and Leland at 2:00 p.m.

Proceeds from the festival go to support a panoply of German-American groups from across the Chicago area. Although the set up of the festival is different from Maifest, it is hosted by a completely different group, and has little to do with DANK Haus, the German cultural center across the street on Western Ave. Earlier this year there were efforts to merge DANK Haus with the German Day groups, but the effort fell apart in April.

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Oh, yes, as a resident here, I always look forward to the over-priced beer, the bad food, the crowds; the traffic snares and I especially love the loud drunks who keep me up at 1 or 2 in the morning, as they try to find their cars so they can drive drunk. Really just contributes SO much to our culture and civilization.

Anonymous

Sorry that you’re so burdened by a festival that’s been around for a great deal longer than you’ve probably been “a resident”. I enjoy the Germanfest because I’ve been in the neighborhood for 25 years and enjoy running into old acquaintances. This is what living in the city and being part of a community is all about. Spare us your puritan tsk-tsk-ing.

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